It's also a shame that the kid came in so highly touted and had underperformed so greatly.

Perhaps this could mean his performance would have been better had his heart been in it. At the end of the day perhaps it is better for the team to rid itself of players whose hearts are not fully in it.

By being on IR last season Hart earned 1 year toward being eligible for the pension plan.

Quite a nice deal if you can make it.

The NFL's Post-Career Financial Plan

The NFL Players Association retirement plan package includes four plans:

1. Severance Pay Plan: A player with two credited NFL seasons (on the active roster, injured reserved or physically unable to perform list for three games in each of two seasons), receives $10,000 for every year played between 1993 and 1999 and $12,500 for every year from 2000 on.

2. Player Annuity Program: A player with four credited NFL seasons receives an annuity valued at $65,000 at age 35 or five years after his last credited season, whichever is later.

3. Second-Career Savings Plan or 401(K): A player with two credited seasons will receive a $2 match for every $1 contributed to the plan up to a maximum club contribution of $20,000 per year.

4. Bert Bell/Pete Rozelle Retirement Plan (pension): A player with at least three credited seasons earns a benefit credit for every season he plays. The benefit credits add up to monthly pension checks that player receive starting at age 55.

Possible, but difficult. More possible to do when a player has tremendous athleticism and quickness. At this level if a CB can break on a ball well enough he can be a star. Is Witty that guy? Probably not.

You questioned whether or not Witty had already "served his purpose," which I think is not an appropriate question geared toward any student athlete, regardless of their ability on the field.